Manipulating holder for needles or the like



Jan. ,10, 1933. w, WlNKLER I 1,893,528

MANIPULATING QOLDE-R FOR NEEDLES OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 14. 1930INVENTOR: 22m wmwz i; BY

:4TTORNE Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicn EMIIL W.WINKLER, F WYOMISSING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR. TO'TEXTILE MACHINE WORKS;0F WYOMISSING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORIPORATION- OF, PENNSYLVANIA-MANIPU'LATING HOLDER FOR;NEEDLES OR. THE. LIKE Application. filedFebruary-14, 1930. Serial No.'428,276.

This invention relates to gripping tools, and-more particularly to oneadapted to grip or hold knitting machine needles.

After knitting machine needles have been formed and hardened, they areinspected and straightened. This has heretofore been done by holding thebutt end of a needle betweenthe fingers of one hand and manipulatingthevarious-needle parts with a pair of pliers, held in the other hand,until properly shaped and aligned. It will readily be understood, thatconstant grip-ping and turning of the needle butts in this manner causessoreness and injury to the fingers. In order to prevent this, I haveprovided a novel mechanical device for holding the needles, whichgreatly facilitates their manipulation, and which is simple inconstruction and operati'on.

The invention comprises the novel elements, features ofconstruction andarrangement of partsin operative relationship as herein exemplified byone embodiment.

The above and other objects, as well as attendant advantages of theinvention, will become more readily apparent from the fol lowingdetailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing inwhich::

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device or gripping tool ofmy invention, andshows certain parts thereof in retracted position, to permit of theapplication of a knitting machine needle.

Fig 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken as indicated by the arrows 22on Fig. 1, and illustrates the manner in which a needleis gripped orheldby the device.

Fig. 3 isan enlarged fragmentary detail view of parts shown in Fig. 2,but illustrating the same retracted into needle receiving position, likeFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is afragmentary detail'sectional view of the needle holding end,and on a still larger scale than Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary-sectional view, taken as indicated by the arrows55 on Fig. 2, and of the same scale asv Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, indicates a base member orsupport whose lowerend 11 is provided with a set screw 12a=ndis-shaped for adjustable andconvenient mounting to a fixed element, such as a rod 13 formingpart-of'a knitting machine. The upper end 14 of the support 10 isprovided with a cavity 15which accommodates'the rear end ofa shoulderedscrew or bolt 16- that extends through an aperture 17, of somewhatgreater. diameter than the bolt, and is threaded 'into the rear end of aneedle holder or gripping device, generally indicated at- 18-. A coilspring 1611. is mounted onthe screw 16, as

shown, which functions to normally retain the needle holder 18-yielda-bly against the support 10, and permits the holder tobe freelyturned and tilted relative to the-latter.

Asindicated in Fig.2 the end of member- 19 into which bolt 16is-threaded andlthe coil spring 16a, aswell asthe shoulder on bolt 16,areof greater diameter than aperture-.17 and thus: prevent inadvertentdetachment of member 19 from support 10.

Various types of desirable needle holders may bedevised and used inconnection with the support 10 'to-carr-y out the invention, and forillustrativepurposes I have shown one which essentially consists of' amember 19 and a sleeve 20 slidably mounted thereon. These partscooperate, and are suitably shaped at their forward endstoseat andvfirmly-hold the'butt end 21 ofa knitting machine needle- 22. The-member19is-providedwith a countersunk aperture 23 and a V-shaped aligninggroove 24 for properly seating the end 21 of the needle 22, while theupper forward part 25; of the sleeve 20'is-provided with an adjustablecontact element, such as a. screw- 26 adapted tobear against'and holdthe end 21' in its seated position. This, screw is regulated tocompensatefor diflerences in sizes of the needles. The sleeve part 25,in which the screw 26 is mounted, is split or slotted, soas-to permitof'wear compensating adjustments of thescrew threads.

Sleeve 20 is also provided with a guide-slot 27 which cooperates withthe head of a movement-limiting screw 28, on the member19, to permit ofrelatively aligned needle disengaging movements of the sleeve and at thesame time afford a, connection between memher 19 and the sleeve forunited rotative movement.

A spring 29 acting through a plunger 30 whose stem 31 bears against thefront depending end of sleeve part 25, normally retains the sleeve inthe needle engaging position shown in Fig. 2.

In order to facilitate the removal ofthe needle butt 21 from theaperture 23, a leaf spring32 is secured to the member 19 by the screw28, which bears against the lower extremity of the needle butt andnormally forces it upwardly against screw 26, or out of the aperture 23when the sleeve 20 is retracted.

A transverse guide groove 33 is provided in member 19, to facilitate theinsertion of the needle butt into the aperture 23, as illus trated inFig. 3. When the sleeve 20 is fully retracted, it strikes against and isstopped by the base part 14, and when so retracted its forward dependingend 25 acts as an abutment and guide against and along which the needlebutts may be placed and moved when insert-v 1 ing a needle in theholder.

In order to secure a needle in place as shown in Fig. 2, it is merelynecessary to retract the sleeve 20 until it strikes against base part14, insert the butt end 21 into the aperture 23, press it downagainstthe spring 32Vuntil it rests in groove 24, and permit the sleeve 20 toautomatically move forward, until stopped by screw 28, at which timescrew 26 will bear against and hold the needle butt in the positionshown.

The holder 18 may then be manipulated to revolve the needle, or tilt it,as indicated by the dot-and-dash center lines of Fig. 2. The sleeve 20being provided with a knurled part at to afiord convenient grasping ofthe holder for such desired movements.

Of course the needle gripping device or tool herein set forth may bechanged and modified in various ways, and changes may be necessary anddesirable in order to vary its adaption, it is therefore to beunderstood that the invention is limited only by the prior art.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a relatively fixedmember; needle holding means movably joined therewith, said meansincluding two coactively mounted needle gripping elements one of whichis provided with a needle butt mounting aperture; means normallymaintaining the other element in position to engage and retain a needlebutt in said aperture; and means urging the needle butt out of theaperture when said retaining element is disengaged from said needlebutt.

2. A needle holding tool comprising; a needle holding element providedwith an aperture for receiving the butt-end of a needle; and a needleengaging slide movable on said element and overlying said elementadjacent the aperture therein for gripping a needle between said slideand said element.

3. A needle holding tool comprising; a needle holding member having anaperture for receiving the butt-end of a needle; a sleeve mounted on andmovable axially of said member; needle engaging means on said sleeveadapted on axial movement thereof to overlie said member adjacent theaperture therein; means for moving saidsleeve axially of said member toposition the needle engaging means thereof for engaging and retaining aneedle butt in said aperture; and cooperating means on said sleeve andsaid member for limiting the said axial movement of said sleeve to alignthe needle engaging means thereof relatively to said aperture in saidmember.

4:. A needle holding tool comprising; a support; a needle holdingelement secured to said support, said element having an aperture remotefrom said support for receiving the butt-end of a needle; and a membermovable relatively to said element into engagement at one end thereofwith said support to position the other end thereof adjacent theaperture in said needle holding element for contacting engagement by thebutt end of a needle to guide said butt end into said aperture.

5. A needle holding tool comprising; a support; a needle holding elementsecured to said support, said element having an aperture re mote fromsaid support for receiving the buttend of a needle; means mounted onsaid element and biased to a position overlying the aperture therein forengaging and retaining a needle butt end in said aperture, said meansbeing retractable to a position adjacent said aperture for releasing theneedle butt; and means for ejecting a needle on retraction of saidengaging means.

6. A needle holding tool comprising; a needle holding member having atransverse aperture for receiving the butt end of a needle and alongitudinal groove for receiving a portion of the shank of said needle,said groove extending from said aperture to one end of said member sothat the remaining portion of the needle projects beyond said end topermit operations to be performed on said projecting portion; and meansmovable along said member to a position overlying said member adjacentthe aperture therein for engaging the needle near its butt end to gripsaid needle against said member.

7. A tool of the character described comprising an adj ustably fixed armand a needle gripping extension flexibly mounted in said arm and having.a movable member adapted in one position to facilitate introduction of aneedle and in another position to fixedly clamp the same.

8. A tool of the character described comprising an adjustably fixedarmanda needlegripping extension flexibly mounted in said arm and having amovable member adapted in one position to facilitate introduction of aneedle and in another position to fixedly clamp the same; and needleejecting means normally operative in said first mentioned position.

9. A tool of the character described comprising an adj ustably fixed armand a needle gripping extension flexibly mounted in said arm and havinga movable member adapted in one position to facilitate introduction of aneedle and in another position to fixedly clamp the same; and resilientmeans normally moving said member to said gripping position.

10. In combination with a needle holder having a needle holding memberand needle gripping means movable relatively to said member for grippinga needle between said means and said member; a support having anaperture; and means for flexibly mounting said needle holder on saidsupport including fastening means extending freely through the aperturein said support and secured to said needle holding member.

11. In combination with a needle holder having a needle holding memberand needle n gripping means movable relatively to said member forgripping a needle between said means and said member; a support havingan aperture; and means for flexibly mounting said needle holder on saidsupport including I fastening means extending freely through theaperture in said support and secured to said needle holding member; andmeans for preventing detachment of said fastening means from saidsupport.

12. A needle holding tool comprising: a

needle holding element provided with an aperture for receiving thebutt-end of a needle; and a needle engaging member associated with saidelement and movable in a plane at an angle to the axis of said apertureto overlie said element for gripping a needle between said element andsaid member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EMIL WV. WINKLER.

